The Nature and Importance of Places

• The concept of place:

  • location
  • locale
  • sense of place
• Location: where a place is on the map => latitude and longitude, coordinates, in relation to other areas
• Locale: how a place is shaped by those that live there, and how they interact with it. This could be through culture, religion, music, art, sport, books, media etc
• Sense of Place: the subjective and or emotional attachment to a place
• Descriptive: world is a set of places, each place can be studied and is distinct
• Social constructionist view: regards place as a product or construct of a particular set of social processes ==> conflict, festivals, peace
• Phenomenological: different in that it asks how the individual recognises a place
• Topophilia = strong attachment to a place
• Topophobia = a dread or adverse reaction to it
• Attachment, home and identity:

  • Yi-Fu Tuan believed that our attachment to our environments expands with age
  • parallel with our physical abilities to explore
  • influenced by our knowledge and understanding of an area
  • heavily influences by our experience in the area
• Identity and Place:

  • our sense of place can be a strong part of our identity
  • can think of having their identity in different layers
  • family history, distinct part of their upbringing
• Regionalism, Nationalism and Localism link with identity and place

  
• Localism: affection or emotional ownership over a particular place -> NIMBYism
• Regionalism: consciousness or loyalty to a distinct region, population shares similarities
• Nationalism: a feeling of loyalty and pride in one's own country
• Religious Beliefs:

  Early 20th Century: widespread, with high levels of Anglican and Catholic church attendance

  21st Century: largely secular and non-religious, increased religious diversity
• Food:

  Early 20th Century: locally sourced food, seasonal, no foreign spices, preferring native herbs

  21st Century: Strong spices used widely, global
• Identity:

  Early 20th Century: many would fight for their country but also regional dialects are stronger, strong sense of local belonging

  21st Century: Younger people see themselves as global citizens rather than local, many less willing to fight for their country, strong supporters of sport teams
• Roots of Vocabulary:

  Early 20th Century: Roman, Scandinavian, Celtic, Saxon, French, Greek

  21st Century: American, Jamaican and Indian influences
• Cultural Influences from other Nations:

  • music
  • TV
  • food
  • social media
  • shopping
  • architecture
  • clothing
  • attitudes toward others
• Music:

  • The Beatles -> Liverpool -> tourism and education as many go to the University of Liverpool for music
  • Slade -> Wolverhampton
  • Glastonbury Festival -> boost in local economy, tourism
  • Elvis Presley -> tourism
• Films:

  • Peaky Blinders -> increases tourism in the Black Country --> Black Country Living Museum
  • Chicago -> depicted as crime ridden
  • London -> romanticised
• Art:

  • Mona Lisa -> tourism
  • Pottery -> key for economy in Stoke on Trent
• Advertising:

  • Poster Boards -> only in certain locations
  • Social Media -> tourism
• Historical Buildings:

  • Heritage Sites -> protection
  • Aston Hall -> fee to upkeep the home
• Totnes and Costa:

  • the town is in Devon -> 8500 people
  • very quiet
  • stopped Costa from opening up a chain as they believed that it dilutes their individualism
  • Cafe owners were happy about the threat to business being removed
  • Totnes however does have a Superdrug and WH Smiths
  • 42 places that sell coffee
  • 6000 signed a petition and 300 wrote to object
  • Costa has a lack of local knowledge
• Belonging:

  to be apart of a community

  regenerations of communities -> focusing on social environment, built environment and the work of agencies and people in the place
• Things that influence a persons belonging:

  • age
  • gender
  • race
  • ethnicity
  • level of education
  • socioeconomic status
  • religion
  • culture
  • sexuality
• London's multiculturalism:

  • migration and immigration in the late 20th century
  • commonwealth connection
  • China town, Irish Quarter
  • Chinese New Year, Diwali Festival, Eid, Oktober Fest, Notting Hill Carnival and Christmas
• Well Being:

  • the qualities you look for in an area
  • proximity to certain areas
  • village feel
  • charming feel
  • cultural hub
  • independent school
  • sea views
  • good connectivity
• Insiders: People who feel like they are ‘part of’ a place; they feel included within the place and have a strong connection to it.
• Outsiders: People who feel like they are not ‘part of’ a place; they feel isolated and may not have a strong connection to the place
• Insiders:

  Place of Birth -> born in X or their parents are from there

  Status -> permanent resident, holds passport of Country X, can work and vote, claim benefits and healthcare

  Language Capability -> fluent in the local language

  Social Interactions -> understands the unspoken rule of X, conforms to local norms

  State of Mind -> feel secure, safe, happy and or at home in that area
• Outsiders:

  Place of Birth -> not born in X, they are an immigrant or family were immigrants

  Status -> temporary visitor, may not be able to work, limited visa for X, travel for safety or work

  Language Capability -> not fluent, doesn't understand local idioms

  Social Interactions -> frequently makes faux paus and or misunderstandings

  State of Mind -> homesick, feels out of place
• Are some Britons excluded from rural England?

  Only ¼ BAME visit

  Only 2% asian population live in rural England

  Historically, most immigrants move to Urban areas such as London, Birmingham and Manchester. As a result, these areas are home to large population of black and Asian Britons today who feel very little connection to the English Countryside
• A 2004 academic study by Neil Chakorabarti and Jon Garland also showed that racism happens more often in the countryside than in towns and cities. Academics have highlighted that many rural estates in England were built by the profits of colonialism. Some of these areas are also littered with monuments of figures who oppressed the ancestors of people of colour. connected to transatlantic slavery for example Penrhyn Castle was built with money made in Jamaican sugar plantations, worked by enslaved Africans.
• Underrepresentation in National Parks:

  • 2001 -> UK National Parks Visitor survey showed that less than 1% of visitors were of black or ethnic minority background
• Social Exclusion Groups:

  • ethnic minorities
  • romani travellers
  • homeless
  • disabled
  • age
  • immigrants
  • LGBTQ+ communities
• The Windrush Generation:

  • 1948 -> Empire Windrush bought first group of migrants from the West Indies
  • help rebuild the country after WW2
  • moved as they were British citizens as they were from a colony and or ex-colony
  • been in Britain for 70+ years
  • 50 000 affected by the clamp down
  • 1971 -> Immigration Act => gave them legal right to remain but this didn't apply to children
  • no bank accounts or passports
  • documents were destroyed by the home office -> clamp down on illegal immigration since 2012
• The Windrush Scandal:

  • April 2018, it emerged that the UK Home Office had kept no records of those granted permission to stay, and had not issued the paperwork they needed to confirm their status.
  • It had also destroyed landing cards belonging to Windrush migrants, in 2010 -> under Theresa May
  • Theresa May apologised for their treatment. An inquiry was announced and a compensation scheme established.
  • The inquiry, which reported in March 2020, said that the scandal was both "foreseeable and avoidable", and criticised "a culture of disbelief and carelessness" in the Home Office